Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

Anglican parish church built in 1844, designed by T.H. Wyatt and Brandon. The building is constructed of flint with limestone dressings and has tiled roofs.

The church consists of a four-bay nave with a south porch at the west end that is raised as a steeple, a two-bay chancel, and a lean-to vestry. The nave features two-light Decorated style windows between buttresses, a three-light reticulated west window, and a three-light east window. A continuous string runs at window sill level. The chancel has a single-light south window. The porch is fitted with a moulded south door and angle buttresses. It is raised as a bell tower with two-light bell openings and is capped with a shingled broach spire. A bench mark is located on the tower.

The interior nave is rendered and comprises five bays. The roof is open with tie beam trusses bracketed from wall corbels, a king post and arch braces forming two pointed arches. The chancel arch is chamfered. The chancel is cement finished and has two bays with cruck-like braces rising from carved corbels to a high collar.

Fittings include a font at the west end, probably 13th century, consisting of a bowl on a short column on a step. The pulpit, reading desk, sanctuary rail and altar table are all of carved oak.

The church contains numerous monuments. In the chancel are two wall tablets on the north side: one is a corniced white panel on veined black marble to the Price family (1824-1864) and a Gothic niche to John Peill, rector (died 1872), both by Osmund of Sarum.

The nave contains twelve wall monuments. On the north wall is a large Purbeck marble panel of mid-17th century date with moulded edge and engraved arms to Nathaniell Fiennes, son of Lord Say and Seale (died 1669), his wife Frances (died 1691), daughters Frances and Elizabeth, and surviving daughters Mary and Cecilia Fiennes, the diarist and traveller who died at Hackney on 10th April 1741. Also on the north wall are a marble panel with strapwork border and painted shield to Sir Alexander Malet, Baronet, royal envoy and minister to the Germanic Federation (died 1886), and a marble panel with tapered pilasters and entwined wreaths to Henry and Ann Earle (died 1791).

On the west wall is a fossil limestone tablet to Lieutenant Colonel Sir Harry Malet (died 1931) and a Classical marble aedicule with broken pediment and bust in a niche with panel below inscribed to Dame Marion Malet (died 1891).

On the south wall are an alabaster and serpentine monument in 17th century style with gilded inscription flanked by columns to Sir Edward Malet (died 1908), a Purbeck marble panel with Latin inscription and incised skull and crossed bones to Ann Jones (died 1652, in poor condition), a white marble panel framed in grey marble to William Benson Earle (died 1796), a simple marble panel with ogee top to Harriett Wapshare (died 1814), and a white marble tablet on grey by Osmund of Sarum with pediment and crossed swords to George Granville Malet (died in action in Persia, 1856). There are also eight other 19th and 20th century Malet brasses, including one cast bronze showing a child guided by an angel to Sir Charles Malet (died 1918), and a brass framed in wood commemorating various members of the family of William Benson of Wilbury from 1721 to 1790.

Above a door is carved and gilded Royal Arms with shield of pretence. The church also contains a large 17th century panelled and carved chest with divided lid.